By 2022, there will be 17% more men and 33% more women working past the age of 65

Recent statistics from the U.S Bureau of Labor show several very interesting statistics about the future workforce of America. For the next 5 years, approximately 10,000 workers each day will turn 55 years of age which is more than 3 million workers a year. This astonishing number raises much concern for the healthcare industry including not only the safety but the cost for employers. The workforce today is 20% weaker than it was 10 years ago across all age groups. Knowing that society has become more obese and less physically active means preventative measures must be instilled to keep our workforce healthy and minimize workers comp injuries, missed sick days, and the cost of insurance.

Musculo-skeletal injuries continue to be the number one injury across all age groups and companies are starting to see an increase in the number of these soft tissue injuries as well as fatalities. With the aging worker, workplaces have seen a 10% increase in fatalities for the 55-64-year-old age group and the most common cause of these fatalities are due to slips and falls from the loss of balance and muscular strength. The future does not look good in terms of dollars spent on injury and fatality claims for employers although much can be done to lower the employees’ risk.

As we look at the current and future workforce statistics, we must keep in mind the younger population and what they are doing today. Our youth is much more sedentary than ever before and there has already been a decrease in the percentage of high school boys and girls who meet the minimum daily physical activity requirements. For YEARS, health professionals have stated the importance of physical activity for one’s self but what individuals and employers have failed to consider is the BIG picture in how a group of individuals can affect an entire workforce as a whole.